Batting

GREENEVILLE, Tenn. --- The Lees-McRae softball team dropped a pair of games at Tusculum, 1-0, 8-0, in nonconference action Tuesday afternoon at Red Edmonds Field in Greeneville, Tenn.

The Pioneers (5-7) scratched across the lone run in the first game in the bottom of the sixth while Carolyn Williamson collected five hits on the day. The Bobcats (0-10) saw Celeste Sheppard (East Julian, N.C.) toss a gem in the first game despite the offense producing only five hits on the day.

LMC looked poised to strike early after Sarah Stallings (Greensboro, N.C.) led off the game by reaching on a third-strike wild pitch. After reaching second on a sacrifice bunt, the freshman was thrown out trying to steal third to thwart the threat.

Williamson led off the Pioneer bottom half with a single, but was hosed by Sadie Lagle (Harmony, N.C.) trying to steal second.

Both offenses remained stagnant until the sixth when Lagle looped a single into left before advancing to second when Sheppard reached on an error.

TC senior Kelly King (3-4) ended the threat when she knocked down a hot shot off the bat of Hollie Crickenberger (Boydton, Va.), ricocheting it to short for the put out.

The Pioneers rallied with two outs following a Kaytlin Stroinski triple, who would eventually score on ball four to Robin Stoner.

Sheppard (0-5) scattered seven hits while going the distance. King earned the win with six innings of three-hit ball.

TC jumped out to an early 4-0 lead after one inning in the second game. Tavi Parris cranked a two-run homerun following another Williamson single.

Stroinski scored on a fly ball off the bat of Katie Brennan to make it 3-0. Nicole Ball stroked an RBI double to conclude the scoring.

In the bottom of the third, Stroinski continued to pester LMC when she scored on an error to stretch the lead to five.

The junior struck again with a two-run double to left center. Courtney Hutcherson capped off the scoring with an RBI groundout.

LMC freshman Charlie Dutton (Monroe, Ga.) (0-5) suffered the loss after allowing four runs (three earned) and striking out six in three innings of work.